At the foot of the castle: Allar sets the scene for Hungarian opera

Matthew AllarMatthew Allar, assistant professor of theatrical design, worked on a production of the Donizetti opera "L'elisi d'amore" (The Elixir of Love) in Hungary this summer.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Announcing DulcamaraAllar paints a banner to mark the arrival of a character named Dulcamara, the shifty traveling salesman who introduces the concoction he claims to be "The Elixir of Love" that Nemorino (the main protagonist of the opera) hopes to use to woo Adina, the owner of a local farm.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Stage constructionA local crew built the custom wooden stage over century-old ruins at the foot of the castle where the opera was staged.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Stage supportBecause the stage was built over castle ruins, some of the support posts extended down twenty feet or more.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Local resourcesAllar shopped for stage props in the small town of Sarospatak, Hungary, where the opera was staged.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Borrowed propsThe wine barrels and antique equipment that make up the scenery pictured here were borrowed from local residents and a regional vineyard.
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

More than the stageThe opera was staged outside of a castle. Allar lit the stage and castle so that the entire structure became part of the scenic environment. Many scenes were played in, on, and around the castle in addition to on the stage.
Production photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Raise the bannerThe banner that Allar created is used during a scene in the opera.
Production photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Belcore woos AdinaPictured here is the character Belcore, a military officer and suitor of Adina.
Production photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

Take a bowAllar (center) joins the rest of the artistic team and principals during opening night photo call. It is an opera tradition that the director, conductor, and designers bow (after the singers).
Photo courtesy of Matthew Allar

The stage in Phi Beta Kappa Hall usually serves
as the canvas on which Matthew Allar creates an array of theatrical worlds for
William & Mary’s students and patrons to enjoy throughout the year.

But this summer, Allar found himself creating in
an entirely different venue: in front of a Hungarian castle.

Allar, assistant professor of theatrical design,
worked on a production of the Donizetti opera L'elisi d'amore (The
Elixir of Love) in the town of Sarospatak in northeast Hungary in July
and August.

“It is approximately 3.5 hours, by train from
Budapest, the capital of the country and very near the Slovakian border,” said
Allar. “The town is located in the Tokaj region of the country which is
famous for its world-class vineyards and wineries, at the foot of the Zemplen
Mountains.”

Although he was primarily responsible for
designing the lighting and the scenery for the opera, Allar said he
“contributed to the overall aesthetic look of the show -- as is the
tradition in the European art form of scenography, where all of the
collaborative artists are working together in a holistic manner.”

Because the opera begins on a farm, Allar and
the others who worked on the show decided to integrate the area’s tradition of
wine-making into the production, setting it in a vineyard.

“As a result, I was able to meet and work with a
local winery, borrowing stage props from their facilities which include cellars
hewn out of rock 300 years ago deep within the Zemplen mountains to maintain
constant temperatures (before electricity, of course !),” said
Allar. “Several local villages were also very willing to lend regionally
appropriate antiques for the piece. Meeting these men and women, learning
a bit about their lives and working with the artistic team to translate that
into an original piece of storytelling is, without question, an experience that
I am eager to share with William & Mary students.”

Like Allar, performers and theatre professionals from all over the world --
including other parts of Hungary -- travelled to the country to be part of the
opera. For instance, the conductor came from Italy, and some of the principal
singers hailed from Romania, Columbia, Russia and Malaysia.

“It is extremely humbling to work on a project
that is originally written in Italian, performed for a primarily Hungarian
audience, via collaboration with so many individuals from across the world,”
said Allar. “Without question, patience and a sense of cultural respect
(and a little humor) is critical!

This is the second time that Allar has worked on
an opera in Hungary. In 2009, he worked with the same production company,
Crescendo Summer Music Institute, on Haydn’s Le Pescatrici, which
was also included in the Zempleni Music Festival.

Though 2009’s production was presented in a
renovated opera house, this summer’s opera was held outside in front of Rakoczi
Castle, which was completed in 1537. Because of the location, a custom stage
had to be created for the show. However, the outdoor setting allowed Allar and
the rest of those working on the opera to “take advantage of the location's
natural acoustic, temperate summer climate (on the bank of the Bodrog River),
and larger capacity for audience seating,” Allar said.

“We were informed, by city historians that this
was the first known opera to be staged in the castle courtyard in its nearly
500 years of existence,” he added.

Allar said it was very rewarding – both
personally and professionally – to work with artists with different
backgrounds.

“Professionally, my training is in theatre
whereas many individuals in this company have primarily studied classical
music, voice, a specific instrument, etc.,” he said. “Being part of the
collaboration that produces a piece such as this is something that none of us
could ever create alone, or in our native countries.”

Though Allar will soon
be back to designing for the William & Mary stage, the benefits of his
summer of opera in front of a Hungarian castle are still fresh in his mind.

“It's hard to place a value, personally for me,
on opportunities like this,” he said. “They remind you of how diverse the
world really is, even in your own subset of professional specialization.”